Lochte: ‘Tomorrow I will be better.”
Ryan Lochte just took to Twitter and addressed his finish in the 200 freestyle final. “Not so happy about that swim tonight… you live and learn. Tomorrow I will be better.”
Here’s a gallery that looks at Lochte’s unique style away from the pool:
Ryan Lochte poses on the podium with the gold medal after winning the men's 400-meter individual medley. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/GettyImages)
GALLERY: Click on the image above to see the bold style of Ryan Lochte.
by Matt McFarland
Emotions overwhelm Franklin after gold medal
Missy Franklin wipes away a tear during the medal ceremony. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
The 17-year-old Missy Franklin, possessed of her first career Olympic gold medal, announced that “It’s exceeding the expectations a hundred million times over.” Franklin’s thrilling performance in the 100-meter backstroke, overtaking Australian Emily Seebohm in the final 10 meters, firmly established as formidable new champion. But the high schooler, still wet from the pool was struggling to grasp her achievement.
“I just won an Olympic gold medal and I don’t even know what to think now.”
Michael Phelps knows what to think. Passing through the mixed zone after winning his 200-meter butterfly heat, Phelps pronounced Franklin, “a force to be reckoned with.”
“She showed a lot tonight,” he said. “She’s tough.”
by Sally Jenkins
Phelps strong in 200 butterfly semifinal
Michael Phelps competes in the second semifinal heat of the men's 200-meter butterfly. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Michael Phelps won the second heat of the men’s 200-meter butterfly semifinals to advance in fourth place to Tuesday’s final. His time of 1:54.53 was just .28 seconds behind top qualifier, Takeshi Matsuda of Japan. Tyler Clary also advanced for the Americans in fifth position with a time of 1:54.93.
The top seven qualifiers for tomorrow’s final are within .79 seconds of one another, setting up what is sure to be a tightly contested final. Phelps — the world record holder — must be considered the favorite having lost this event once in major international competition in the last decade, that coming in 2002 to the former world record holder Tom Malchow.
by Bryan Flaherty
Soni wins silver in 100 breaststroke
Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte and Australia's Leisel Jones compete in the women's 100-meter breaststroke final. (Mark Terrill/AP Photo)
American Rebecca Soni took second place in the women’s 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1 minute 5.55 seconds. Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, who is only 15, secured gold in 1:05.47. American Breeja Larson was in second place at the turn but faded to sixth, in 1:06.96.
by Matt McFarland
Grevers, Thoman 1-2 in 100 backstroke
Matt Grevers reacts after he won the men's 100-meter backstroke final on day 3. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Americans went 1-2 in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, with Matt Grevers finishing in an Olympic-record 52.16 seconds and Nick Thoman second in 52.92. Ryosuke Irie of Japan won the bronze.
by Matt Bonesteel
Thoman, Grevers enjoy a special moment
Matthew Grevers (L) celebrates with silver medalist Nick Thoman (R) after winning the men's 100m backstroke final. (Lee Jin-man/AP Photo)
After winning silver in the 100 backstroke, American Nick Thoman was quick to congratulate teammate Matt Grevers, who took gold. Thoman swam over to his teammate and gave him a giant, jubilant hug. ”I looked up and saw the scoreboard, saw Matt next to me a couple lanes over, and he was just grinning like an idiot. So I had to go over and give him a big hug.”
“That’s amazing. I must be selfish,” Gevers said. “It took me a good 10 seconds to realize he got second.”
by Amy Shipley
Missy Franklin wins gold in 100 backstroke
Emily Seebohm (R) of Australia congratulates Missy Franklin after Franklin won the gold in the women's 100-meter backstroke final. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Missy Franklin, the 17-year-old multi-event phenom, has won her first gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Franklin barely defeated Emily Seebohm down the stretch in a riveting finish and outtouched her with a time of 58.33 to Seebohm’s 58.68.
Franklin had the daunting task of swimming a semifinal in the 200 freestyle, not her best event, only 10 minutes before the backstroke. She looked as if she fought the water somewhat as she swam that heat in 1:57:57, a full second slower than her best time this year, but claimed only the eighth and last spot in the final.
by Sally Jenkins
U.S. women hold off Hungary in water polo
Lauren Wenger, center, of the United States blocks a shot by Ildiko Toth, left, of Hungary during a preliminary women's waterpolo match. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The U.S. women’s water polo team edged Hungary, 14-13, in a Group A preliminary round match. Maggie Steffens scored seven goals for the Americans.
by Matt McFarland
Lochte, Phelps discuss 200 freestyle
A twice-disappointed Ryan Lochte, beaten on successive nights in the final freestyle lap by 20-year-old Frenchman Yannick Agnel, first in the 4×100-meter relay Sunday and then in the 200-meter freestyle Monday, struggled to explain his failing form to the press as he passed through the international mixed zone. “Whatever happened last night, happened last night,” Lochte said. “…I have a couple races left, so I just have to get over it and move on.”
Lochte’s American teammate Michael Phelps shed a little more light on the 200 free, after winning his own semifinal heat in the 200 butterfly. Phelps said he had predicted that the race was liable to be an extremely fast one, given that Agnel has swum some lightning times in the event this year. Phelps suspected it would take a time of around 1:43 to win. He was correct. Agnel led the race from the very start and won by more than a body length — in 1 minute 43.14 seconds. “It was an incredible swim,” Phelps said. He added of Lochte, “He’s a champion and he’ll be able to put a lot of energy into his other races.”
by Sally Jenkins
Ryan Lochte off medal stand in 200 free
Yannick Agnel of France celebrates after he won the Final of the men's 200-meter freestyle on day 3. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Ryan Lochte, the reigning world champion, failed to medal at all in the 200-meter freestyle, finishing fourth with a time of 1 minute 45.04 seconds. Yannick Agnel of France won the gold (1:43.14), Park Tae-Hwan of Korea won the silver (1:44.93) and Sun Yang of China won the bronze (1:44.93). It was Agnel who overtook Lochte in the final lap of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay Sunday night.
by Sally Jenkins
Clary edges Phelps in 200 fly heats
Michae Phelps competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly heats on July 30. (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)
The man who questioned Michael Phelps’s work ethic in a recent newspaper story swam faster than Phelps in the preliminary round of the 200-meter butterfly Monday morning at the Olympic aquatic center.
Tyler Clary, a U.S. teammate who swam with Phelps at the University of Michigan, posted the second-fastest time in the heats, 1 minute, 54.96 seconds, trailing only Dinko Jukic (1:54.79). Phelps clocked the fifth-fastest time, 1:55.53.
“I felt fantastic,” Clary said. “That time was faster than I was at the trials, and I hurt a heck of a lot more at the end of the race at trials.”
A few weeks before the Games, Clary was quoted in a California newspaper saying it was a “shame” Phelps did not work as hard as other swimmer. Clary said Monday he “spoke about it” to Phelps in his room the day the story appeared and then apologized to the entire U.S. Olympic team for causing a distraction. That, Tyler said Monday, “put it to rest.”
“People are going to think and say whatever the heck they want,” Clary said. “It doesn’t bother me.”
Phelps, who last week said he told Clary he didn’t have to say anything to mend fences, said he was “pretty happy” with his morning swim. He insisted he hadn’t lost confidence despite finishing fourth in the 400 individual medley on Saturday.
“I don’t think it had anything to do with confidence,” he said. “I thought I was ready to swim fast. Once I got in the race, it just didn’t happen.”
by Amy Shipley
Missy Franklin prepares for her heat of the women's 200-meter freestyle on Monday morning. (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)
Franklin inspired by Vollmer WR
Missy Franklin, 17, couldn’t understand why U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer didn’t burst into tears after setting a world record Sunday night in the 100-meter butterfly. Franklin did.
“I don’t know how she wasn’t crying,” Franklin said. “All of us were back there, like, bawling our eyes out… It’s so exciting watching my team do well.”
Franklin will get a chance for her first individual gold medal in Monday’s 100 backstroke final, but she will be challenged by Australian Emily Seebohm, who was faster than Franklin in the heats and semifinal round.
In Monday morning’s preliminary heats of the 200 freestyle, Franklin posted the third-fastest time, behind Italian Federica Pellegrini, who qualified in 1:57.16, and U.S. teammate Allison Schmitt, the 400 free silver medal winner who came home in 1:57.33.
Franklin touched the wall in 1:57.62.
“It felt awesome,” Franklin said. “I definitely didn’t expect to be that fast this morning, so I’m really happy with that time… It’s a very stacked event, so no matter what happens it’s going to be a great semifinal and final.”
by Amy Shipley
Ye dominates 200 medley heats
China's Ye Shiwen competes in the women's 200-meter individual medley heats on Monday. (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)
China’s Ye Shiwen, who raised eyebrows by swimming a faster freestyle leg in her world-record-setting victory in the 400 medley Saturday night than Ryan Lochte and several men in the 400 medley final, won the 200 medley heats Monday morning.
Ye finished her 200 IM heat in 2 minutes 8.90 seconds — 0.55 off the Olympic record but more than two seconds slower than the world record. South Africa’s Kirsty Coventry was second (2:10.51) and American Caitlin Leverenz was third overall in 2:10.63.
Ariana Kukors, the reigning world record holder in the event, finished with the seventh-fastest time in the heats of 2:11.94. About Ye, she said, “I definitely have her on my radar.”
“I’m very much looking forward to racing her,” Kukors said. “I’m going to be on the look out for her in the last 50.”
by Amy Shipley
More headlines from London
1. Ryan Lochte fails to hold lead as France passes U.S. men to win 4×100 freestyle relay
2. Vollmer sets world record in 100-meter butterfly
3. Day 2 highlights from the pool in London
4. Michael Phelps boosts swimming even as he has less left to give
5. Ryan Lochte cruises to gold in 400 IM; Phelps finishes 4th